


The Single Dad and the Tycoon

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst and Humor, Community: undermistletoe, Harlequin, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-26
Updated: 2011-07-26
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:12:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney hadn't been expecting the knock at the door just after midnight, answering it with a fractious six-week-old baby in one hand, bottle of warmed milk in the other, and three-year-old Madison wrapped around his left leg.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Single Dad and the Tycoon

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Death of a non-major character i.e. it's not John or Rodney.  
> Many thanks to Aqualegia and Taibhrigh for their encouragement and beta skills!
> 
> Written for **undermistletoe** 2008 _HARLEQUIN WEEK - Day 19_ Prompt - The Single Mom/Dad and the Tycoon

When he arrived at the Nursery, already running late after Bradley tipped his breakfast over Rodney's lap, Rodney hadn't been the only stunned father standing outside the closed door, children in hand, dress suit as pristine as it could be with two small children tugging at him with their grubby fingers. They had looked at each other in horror before checking the notice on the door again.

"Measles?" Rodney had exclaimed. "They can't close!" He wagged his finger between his two children. "They've had the shots!"

Rodney had made it his mission in life to ensure the kids had every inoculation going just to make sure they remained healthy, even if that meant screwing up his face and feeling like a bad person when each child screamed upon having the injections. Worse though, the nurse always insisted he had a similar batch.

"Mine haven't."

Rodney stared harder, mouth dropping in shock. "What! Are you a lunatic?" His phone trilling cut off any further ranting at the unfortunate man, who took the opportunity to beat a fast retreat.

"Rodney! I am already in the foyer. Where are you?"

"Radek! I'm on my way... Except there's been a minor... hiccup?"

"Please! Just get here as fast as you can."

Throwing his head back in exasperation, Rodney speed-dialed the babysitter only to get voice mail. He left a message even though he knew it wouldn't do him a whole lot of good as it only went to voice mail when she had taken off shopping for the day. The woman was a compulsive shopper who would probably win a gold for Canada if it ever became a recognized sport. Not that she was Canadian but he'd find a way to hobble her if she tried to compete for the US, probably by hacking into her credit card account and lowering her credit limit to twenty dollars--which was the extortionate amount she charged him an hour.

Out of time, he decided to meet Radek first and then try the babysitting agency to see if they would collect the children.

The drive across town was the usual chaos but at least his destination had car parking beneath the building. The guard on the gate eyed him suspiciously.

"What? You've never seen kids before?"

With a narrow-eyed glare, Rodney was waved through and given a bay number that couldn't have been further from the door if he'd parked out in the street.

Rodney grumbled as he unstrapped the squirming baby from the car seat and held him on one hip while he juggled the nursery bag, his laptop case and a four-year-old who wanted to play. She pulled on his hand suddenly and he almost overbalanced, fortunately only dropping the nursery bag rather than the expensive laptop with all his presentation notes. He cursed the fact that he'd left the stroller behind, not thinking he'd need it.

"Madison!"

Bradley began to howl at the sharpness in Rodney's voice and, once more, Rodney felt the stress of the past eleven months catching up on him. He'd barely had time to grieve for his sister before they thrust her children onto him to raise as his own; him being the only living relative except for some very distant cousins a million times removed. It was that or the State foster program, and Rodney couldn't bear the thought of losing all that was left of his family. It might have helped if Kaleb had living relatives but the only two, his parents, had been in the same car as him and Jeanie. Somehow, Rodney had been roped into babysitting for them that evening, with promises of a Classic Trek marathon on cable TV and anything he wanted out of the refrigerator, and Jeanie had always stocked up well at Christmas with all the essential food groups--chocolate and good coffee.

He hadn't been expecting the knock at the door just after midnight, answering it with a fractious six-week-old baby in one hand, bottle of warmed milk in the other, and three-year-old Madison wrapped around his left leg.

Over this past year there were times when Rodney had cursed Kaleb. His brother-in-law had been driving back from the Christmas party that evening but, in truth, it hadn't been his fault as he'd always refused even a single alcoholic drink if he was going to be behind the wheel. A drunken driver had crossed the center line and hit them head on. Unfortunately, the bastard who'd killed his sister had survived the collision and Rodney was still in the process of suing him for every penny--not that the man had a lot but that was what insurance companies were for after all. The fact that they were taking their own sweet time with the pay out had caused all sorts of hardship. He'd been forced to sell Jeanie's home and move the kids into his small, two-bedroom apartment, though there wasn't a whole lot left after the sale because the bank owned most of it.

The first anniversary of their deaths was only two weeks away and trying to juggle two small children and his work at TechLab had been harrowing enough at first, until he managed to get into some sort of routine. Everyone there had been strangely accommodating though, understanding when he got _the call_ to pick up a sick child, or had to rush off earlier in the evening to avoid losing yet another babysitter. The secretarial staff had gotten used to him arriving back all flustered, holding out their arms to take Bradley and his older sister--often still in their sleep suits--so Rodney could get back to work. Of course, part of him uncharitably determined that they only did it because, without his important contribution, the company would go under, leaving them all out of work.

This past week had been the worst yet with everything hinging on a signed contract with Sheppard Industries. Everything had been under control. The nursery had agreed to take both children for the day and the latest in a string of babysitters had offered to pick them up from there and watch over them until Rodney got back.

If he hadn't been so flustered, Rodney might have enjoyed the look of horror that crossed Radek's face when he barged into the huge, plush reception with two crying children in hand. Everyone turned to stare at them, some of them equally horrified while others looked on in pity, probably relieved that these weren't their own kids.

"Rodney?"

"It was closed," he stressed through gritted teeth. "Measles." Radek took a step back and Rodney drew in a breath. "Not them. The Nursery has measles."

Madison wriggled her hand free and raced towards Radek, wrapping her small body around his legs and Rodney felt malicious glee at the obvious pain as she more or less head butted Radek in the groin. She was just the wrong height--or was that the right height? For some reason she had taken to Radek even though he tried to avoid children at all costs, citing his nephew as the devil incarnate. Bradley began to wail louder for no fathomable reason, though maybe it was the look on Radek's face that had set him off, and Rodney dropped the bags on the nearest surface and tried to console him.

When Bradley stopped suddenly, staring with bright blue eyes over Rodney's shoulder, and with a tentative smile twitching at his _McKay_ mouth with its slight downturn in one corner, Rodney blinked in confusion. Looking over his shoulder he saw a good-looking man with gravity-defying dark hair pulling goofy faces.

"Rodney! We are late!"

Rodney pointed at the receptionist. "You! Does he actually work here?" He demanded, pointing at the dark-haired man, who raised both mobile eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, sir, he's..."

"My new babysitter." Rodney dumped Bradley into the man's arms. "Now, just sit there and I'll be back in forty minutes. And don't give him any candy. He'll be awake all night."

"Hey! I..."

Rodney didn't wait for an excuse because then he'd have to convince someone else, and he didn't like the look of the receptionist because of her long talons painted scarlet. He was sure she could skewer someone with those things, and as much as the kids drove him insane on occasion, he wouldn't part with them now to save his life. Instead he raced for the elevator with Radek close behind, looking stunned at Rodney's audacity. When they reached the executive offices on the 14th floor, Rodney took a moment to compose himself before stepping up to the receptionist.

"Dr. Rodney McKay...and Dr. Zelenka. We have an appointment with Mr. Sheppard."

"Mr. Sheppard called to say he would be momentarily delayed. If you wouldn't mind waiting in his office?"

"See," Rodney hissed. "All that panicking for nothing."

Radek rolled his eyes, "Yes, Rodney." He took one of the offered seats.

Rodney sat down beside him, staring around the spacious office for a moment before looking back at the cluttered desk. He moved some of the model planes adorning the desktop to clear some space before pulling out his laptop and setting it up.

"Be careful with..."

"They're only model planes, Radek. And they look like they were put together by a six-year-old."

"Then perhaps they are of sentimental value, No? Mr. Sheppard does have two sons, yes?"

Begrudgingly, Rodney took a little more care moving a third model, recalling how irate he had been with the previous babysitter after she threw out Madison's finger painting that he had stuck in pride of place on the refrigerator door. Rodney straightened when he heard voices drift in from the reception area, and was that...? The door opened and the dark-haired man from reception walked in... carrying Bradley. Madison trailed in behind him and Rodney jumped to his feet, picking up Madison without a second thought when she came running.

"What are doing up here? I told you to--"

"You left your kids downstairs with a complete stranger."

"No. I left them with you."

"You don't know me."

"I didn't need to. You work here."

The man opened his mouth. "I'm sure there's some twisted logic in there some place."

Rodney reached out and turned the man back around to face the door before giving him a small push to get him moving. "I have a crucial meeting that could, quite literally, mean the difference between a Christmas feast or the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen for a dozen employees this Christmas, so if you would just wait with the children for..."

"Wait a minute. I'm not your babysitting service." The man had taken several steps before standing firm and turning back to face Rodney.

Rodney couldn't help the small show of interest because this guy was seriously hot. "If you were then I'd pay double." He cleared his throat. "But the fact of the matter is, I was let down this morning by the nursery and this meeting is more important than your filing duties. I'm sure Mr. Sheppard will square it with your boss...if he ever gets here."

The man opened his mouth to say something more and then snapped it closed before calling out, "Maggie?" The receptionist stuck her head around the door, smiling sweetly. "How about you take the kids to the executive lounge for...lots of candy," he added with a sly twist of his lips, eyes never losing contact with Rodney.

Rodney opened his mouth to disagree but the man held up one finger of his free hand. "And, by the way, your son stinks."

"He does? But I only changed him less than an hour ago!"

Maggie took the toddler from the man's arms, smiling and cooing at Bradley. "Don't worry, sir. I've handled a few stinky diapers in my lifetime." She gave the dark-haired guy a matronly look and reached for Madison's hand after Rodney put her back down.

Rodney blinked hard, not sure if he was happy with the image of this hot guy, naked... being pampered by a woman old enough to be his mother. "Eh... Oh. Sure."

She turned to leave. "Oh, Mr. Sheppard, would you like me to redirect your calls?"

"Thank you."

"Mr... Oh God! You're Sheppard."

"And you're Dr. Rodney McKay," he said with a hard smirk before turning his attention to Radek, voice softening. "And Dr. Zelenka."

"I thought you were... older?" Rodney stated because Patrick Sheppard was supposed to be in his early sixties and this man didn't look a day over... "You're, what? Twenty-five, thirty? Admittedly, I'm not that good with ages, especially women's ages." He knew that had come out wrong. "Not that I think you look effeminate or... or anything but the last time I tried to guess a woman's age, she hit me." He looked to Radek, affronted by the memory. "Can you believe that?"

"Strangely, I can," Sheppard replied. "And to answer your question. Least I think there was a question in there. I'm _John_ Sheppard, the son."

"His son? Are you old enough to be... Yes, of course you are. Well, you're here now so shall we get on with this before Magnolia comes back with the kids?"

"Magnolia?" Sheppard mouthed the name.

"He means Maggie," Radek added under his breath but Rodney heard him nonetheless.

"Okay, so I'm not so good with the name recall for people who've not exactly made much of an impression."

"She's changing your kid's diaper," Sheppard deadpanned.

"And so does the woman down the hall in my apartment block but that cat-napper doesn't deserve to be remembered either."

"Rodney," Radek hissed.

"What!? I have a perfect right to be annoyed. Mr. Jeeves was my cat first and I only let her look after him because he kept sitting on the baby's face."

"This is getting surreal," Sheppard exclaimed to no one in particular. "How about we look at that presentation now?"

***

John had to admit that the TechLab project was pretty impressive. He also had to admit that McKay was impressive too, and he wasn't just thinking about the man's sharp intellect and sharper tongue. Picking up one of his model planes from the desk, he swooped it around as he visualized the broad shoulders and the sinfully long, pale lashes flickering over beautiful eyes. John had flown jets in skies as clear and blue as McKay's eyes. He'd been mesmerized by the man's hands and fingers as well; the way they twisted and moved as if dancing with the words falling from a surprisingly tempting mouth.

Damn, but he needed to get laid if he was having fantasies over some guy who was obviously married with kids; and at least two kids at that because the little boy was the spitting image of McKay with the same eyes, mouth and nose, and the same baby-fine hair that smelled of the same shampoo. Oh yeah, he'd made sure to lean in close over McKay's shoulder, taking a subtle sniff and letting the underlying male scent arouse him at a slow burn.

John put down the plane and punched the intercom. "Maggie? Can you pull up some information on TechLab, and Dr. McKay in particular." He waited for the acknowledgment, flicked off the intercom and sighed.

Maybe McKay was divorced. Certainly there had been several moments when he was sure McKay was looking at him with more than passing interest, and McKay wouldn't be the first guy to try throwing the relatives off the scent of homosexuality by marrying. John had made that same mistake a decade back, and Nancy had the huge settlement to prove it. Not that he begrudged her the money as she deserved every penny for the more recent public humiliation caused when the _truth_ in the form of lurid descriptions and grainy photos came out of the closet with him. He huffed in annoyance. Some people would sell their dignity to the celebrity papers without a second thought, truth or lies. He was just glad all this hadn't come to light while he was still in the Air Force.

He didn't think he'd miss the Air Force so much.

This wasn't where he expected to be at this time of his life but when his dad started having heart murmurs, he'd felt obliged to cut short his military career and help Dave with the family business. At least, that's what he told himself but, in truth, that black mark on his record had effectively ended his chances of further promotions so it was a good time to cut his losses. Certainly his dad had managed to bite his tongue over the whole _black mark_ fiasco, and Dave seemed grateful not to be shouldering the burden of Sheppard Industries alone. They'd split the main thrust of the business between them, with Dave handling all the marketing and finance while John took on the research and development considerations, mostly because he had the Masters in Aeronautical Engineering from Yale while Dave had followed a business and finance path, graduating from Harvard with honors.

His dad wasn't so silent when John came out to his family, threatening to disinherit him before Dave made him see some sense. Weird that his straight-as-an-arrow brother was the one who'd reacted least to the news, as if he'd always known. Perhaps he had, as they'd been close right up until John joined the Air Force, ostensibly to get away from a lifestyle lived under the magnifying glass of the press. He'd dropped off the paparazzi radar pretty quickly once he wasn't around getting drunken and debauched at high flyer parties and night clubs. Of course, they'd made up for it since with the lewd accounts of man-sex in darkened alleyways, of blow-jobs with rent boys in his car in the sleazy parts of town. If he'd had half as many encounters as these people believed then he'd be both a walking AIDS factory and a seducer of men to rival Casanova with women.

In truth, he could number his male sexual conquests on both hands, and all but two of those had been fumbles in the dark as a teenager. The other two had taught him a lot about what he liked in a partner and, physically, McKay seemed to fit perfectly so far.

Maggie knocked on the door and entered, her expression a little awed as she handed over the file he had requested. "You know, I was all prepared to dislike that man but I take it all back."

He frowned but decided he'd find out what she was talking about soon enough. The first thing he discovered was that McKay was not only single but had never been married. The rest fell into place soon after, and he felt growing admiration for a man taking on a baby and toddler that were not his own.

On an impulse, John called TechLab, wanting an excuse to talk to McKay again.

"This is Dr. Zelenka. I am afraid Dr. McKay will not be back into the office until tomorrow. Perhaps if I might help."

"That's okay. I'll call back."

John tapped the nose of the F16 model against his chin, deep in thought before another impulse overtook him. He dropped the model and grabbed his coat on his way out of his office.

"I'm taking an early lunch. Maybe a long lunch."

"But you have an appointment with Dr. Kavanagh of KavChem in one hour."

"Reschedule for tomorrow."

"But..."

John waved and smiled as he breezed past and stepped into the elevator. If the boss's son couldn't take an afternoon off every once in a while then what could he do? When he reached the private car park he toyed with picking up the keys for the Ferrari rather than asking his father's chauffeur to drive him over to McKay's apartment block. Eventually he settled for one of the pool cars because he wanted the freedom to come and go as he pleased without the worry over his car being vandalized or stolen.

As he drove out of the business sector and into less affluent suburban streets he knew Dave would have been cringing right about now, wondering if he was going to get pulled over by some street gang and robbed. No one took any notice of him though so he guessed he'd made the right decision on the car choice. He pulled up outside a slightly rundown building, checking the address twice before he decided the only way to be sure was to go check the names on the mailboxes lined up outside. Sure enough, one of them had Dr. M. Rodney McKay. John depressed the buzzer and waited, grinning when an exasperated voice came on the line.

"Who is it? What do you want? I'm a busy man."

"It's Sheppard." Silence. "John Sheppard." More silence. "From Sheppard Industries?"

"Yes, yes, I know who you are so... What do you want?"

"I have a few questions regarding your proposal and thought we could deal with them...face-to-face."

"Now?"

"Well," he drawled. "I'm here. You're here."

"And so are two small children waiting to be fed."

"I can handle a tin opener." More silence, and then the door buzzer sounded loudly; John pushed it open and went inside, making sure it was closed securely behind him before taking the stairs two at a time to the third floor apartment. The bulb had blown and with no natural light it was dark. John could hear movement behind the door opposite and wondered if the cat-napper lived there. He knocked several times, almost hitting McKay in the face when the door was yanked open suddenly.

"Oh, it is you."

"You mean you let me in when you weren't even sure who I was?"

"Nooo. You said you were Sheppard. I just wasn't sure which one." McKay bristled. He rolled his eyes when a wail echoed along the small hallway, leaving John to follow as McKay dashed back to the distraught child.

After the darkness outside, John was surprised by how light and airy the apartment felt, with winter sunlight piercing the shadows of the hallway, cleverly reflecting off mirrors and pale painted walls.

"Hey, Madison," John called softly as the little girl poked her head round the door frame.

She smiled brightly. "Do you want to see my nucla reacta?"

"Your...?"

"It's not a real one. The people wouldn't let Uncle Mer have a geranium."

"Uranium," came a slightly peeved voice from inside the room. The girl grinned harder and grabbed John's hand, drawing him into the brightly lit kitchen where the baby was seated in a high chair banging a spoon on the tray in front of him. He stopped and stared at John, all wide blue eyes and crooked mouth, and drool. Yeah, there was drool too, but he seemed to recognize John.

A bowl was thrust into John's hands. "Make yourself useful."

As the _airplane went into the hangar_ for the fourth time, much to Bradley's delight, John felt McKay's intense gaze upon him and he looked over only to see McKay glance away, cheeks pinking at getting caught staring. Now that was an interesting reaction, John thought as he pulled his attention back to the hungry baby. Madison giggled into her spaghetti and grated cheese and then stage-whispered, "Uncle Mer likes you!" She sing-songed.

"He does, does he?"

McKay went a brighter shade of pink. "Madison, eat your spaghetti." He looked nervous for a moment. "Um... Bradley tends to go down for a sleep after lunch and I'm sure Madison can find a DVD to entertain herself with while we go over those...questions."

***

"Radek!"

Rodney stormed into the main laboratory and gritted his teeth when Radek was nowhere in sight. If he didn't leave soon then he'd be late picking up the kids again, and the agency had sworn to take him off their client list if it happened one more time. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave until he had agreed to the specifications for the new compression algorithm with Radek. He glanced down at his wristwatch and barely refrained from stamping his feet in frustration.

When Radek entered the lab moments later, Rodney turned on him, about to let loose a rant to end all rants.

"Yes, yes, yes. The compression algorithm is fine. I will send it to Sheppard. Go. GO!"

Rodney bared his teeth at Radek once more but realized he was running out of time fast, and he still had the early evening traffic to negotiate. All it took was one idiot and the snarl up could take vital minutes--if not hours--to clear. He grabbed his jacket and rushed out, glad that as a major partner in TechLab he had the closest parking space. With an overly generous use of the horn, he managed to cross to the other side of Seattle in less than forty minutes, screeching to a halt outside the babysitter's home, car skewed partway across the road, only to find her standing on the steps tapping her wristwatch.

"You're five minutes late, Mr. McKay."

"No. I'm thirty-two seconds early, and that's DOCTOR McKay."

"My wristwatch says--"

"Your wristwatch? Is that a wristwatch automatically reset by the atomic clock at the U.S. Naval Observatory?" She narrowed her eyes. He held up his own wrist, displaying an expensive timepiece. "Why! I do believe this is and it says I'm still fifteen seconds early."

Madison came running out, eyes wide and face blotchy from crying. She flung herself at Rodney, who knew enough to block before she hit his groin and lifting her up in the air instead. Her small arms wrapped tight around his neck, her sobs increasing.

"Mrs. Pumphrey was so mean!"

Rodney glared at the babysitter, who had crossed her arms again. "I warned her not to press the buttons on the dishwasher. She had to be disciplined."

"She hit me!" Madison wailed, "And she wouldn't change Bradley's diaper even though he was stinky!"

"You only left two diapers, MISTER McKay. It's not in my contract to supply baby products. That was your responsibility."

Too angry to even speak, Rodney strapped Madison into her car seat and told her to not move an inch. He stormed towards the house, bristling with rage. "My son?"

She went inside and handed Bradley to Rodney. He didn't think he could get any more angry but Bradley looked as if he had cried himself into a stupor, eyes glazed and lips trembling, and he stank badly. The kids' day bags were dropped without ceremony at Rodney's feet and the woman slammed the door shut in his face, shocking Bradley out of his stupor; he took the deepest breath and then screamed. Rodney held him close, rocking him back and forth for a moment but Bradley wouldn't be consoled.

With no other choice, Rodney yelled through the door, "I'm reporting you, you... you Harpy!"

Grabbing the bags up in one hand, he strode back to the car and strapped Bradley in, aware of Madison's small face pressed against the car window, silent tears streaming down her face. He headed for the nearest family diner, hoping they had a diaper vending machine because the smell was already gagging him. Rodney was surprised to hear his name called as he staggered out of the car in the parking lot of a Denny's. He looked around in confusion, finally spotting a dark-haired man climbing out of an expensive car two bays along.

"Sheppard?"

"McKay! I saw you a few junctions back. You looked kind of... upset." Sheppard ambled towards him, a smile lifting his perfect lips but he stopped suddenly, eyes widening, and those mobile eyebrows taking on new sentience as they crawled around his forehead. Then his nose screwed up in the most adorable way, reminding Rodney why he had stopped.

"Bradley!" Rodney exclaimed, although that stink was pretty obviously a soiled diaper.

"How about I take Madison and the bag while you take...?"

Before Rodney could even open his mouth, Madison had hopped out of the car and into John's arms, her small face pressed against Sheppard's five o'clock shadow and he hoped she didn't get beard burn from him. Fortunately, Denny's wasn't crowded and it did have baby changing facilities. Rodney's language turned the air in the small room as foul as Bradley's soiled diaper when he realized how long he'd been left unchanged. Bradley's bottom was red and sore, worsened because he was teething. Oh, Rodney knew all the facts, having studied every book he could find on child rearing over this past year. Once he had Bradley clean and dry, and liberally smeared with salve, with a new diaper in place and a fresh set of clothes, Rodney washed his hands and measured out a precise dose of Baby Advil.

By the time he returned to the restaurant, Bradley was dozing on his shoulder. Rodney stopped to look around and saw Sheppard's dark-hair in a booth near the back so he headed that way. Madison was seated beside Sheppard, giggling as they played some sort of game, and Rodney couldn't help a small smile of relief because it had been a bad day and he deserved a break. He slipped into the booth opposite Sheppard, careful not to disturb Bradley who had finally started to drift off.

"The little guy okay?"

Rodney tensed as the outrage overtook him once more. "I'll have that woman up on child abuse charges," he snarled. He relaxed quickly when Bradley began to fret, shushing and rocking him.

"What happened?"

Sheppard seemed just as outraged when he heard the story. Rodney blinked in surprise when, mid-way through his rant, the waitress began to offload several plates of food onto the table.

"I took the liberty of ordering while you were..." Sheppard pointed to the child who was now asleep on Rodney's shoulder.

"I told him no citrus, Uncle Mer."

"You should have told him no cola for you, young lady." Rodney pulled the child-sized drink away before Madison could wrap her hands around it; the battle of wills was over quickly because Rodney had yet to be out-stared by a four-year-old, and he didn't plan on starting today. He looked around. "Um... You. Waitress lady. Milk?"

Rodney frowned when Sheppard's lips twitched as the waitress raised an eyebrow but her expression smoothed to a smile when she looked at Sheppard. Eyes narrowing, Rodney looked across and Sheppard had a far too innocent expression for Rodney's liking; he let it go because, really, this day had been traumatic enough without having words with Sheppard too. Still, as he took a mouthful of fries...

"I hope you're paying for all this because..."

"I think I can afford it... Rodney."

Swallowing hard on hearing his chosen first name, Rodney stared across at Sheppard. Most people called him Meredith until he disdainfully told them otherwise. Only two people had ever called him Mer and got away with it...and Jeanie was gone.

"It is okay if I call you Rodney?"

Rodney cleared his throat and took a sip of cola. "Um. Yes. Yes, under the circumstances..." he trailed off, wondering if this could be considered a first date. Only in your dreams, he thought.

***

John sank into the worn leather couch, reaching under a cushion to tug free a solid plastic toy before settling back to find the couch extremely comfortable. He could hear the murmur of voices in the room beyond as Rodney read out some article in a Physics journal, ridiculing it to the merriment of one sleepy little girl. A photo caught his eye and he leaned forward to study the image of a laughing woman with a handsome, smiling dark-haired man. She looked like Rodney though her eyes were a paler shade of blue. He didn't need to guess that this was Rodney's sister, that the happy couple were the children's parents.

Eventually, John heard the light click off and the door squeak a little as it was pulled to, leaving only a sliver of a gap where light from the hallway could break through. John smiled. He'd always hated sleeping in the dark as a child, and one of his fondest memories was of his dad doing the same for him and Dave, leaving the hall light on all night just for them.

He glanced up when he felt himself being watched, smiling as Rodney walked in and sank down at the other end of the couch, head tipping backwards and eyes closed. In the lamplight, he looked tired and vulnerable, all that frenetic energy draining away. Earlier, Rodney had instructed him to grab two beers from the refrigerator and John pushed one across to him now, watching mesmerized as Rodney raised the bottle and took a deep swallow, Adam's Apple bobbing and muscles contracting along the long throat.

He wasn't a classic beauty but there was something about Rodney that appealed to John on every level. This time when he looked into Rodney's eyes, he had no remaining doubt that his interest was returned in full.

"Thanks for..." Rodney waved a hand but John understood.

"I like Denny's," he replied nonchalantly as if eating at a cheap diner was a commonplace activity for him but, in truth, he rarely had the chance to eat out these days except on business, and Sheppard Industries didn't take a potential customer or supplier to a family diner. He'd forgotten how much he liked it though, how much he enjoyed being a normal person rather than a media tycoon if only for a short while.

Rodney huffed a little as if in disbelief but that only made John grin harder. He slid across the couch and took the bottle from Rodney's hand, giving him plenty of opportunity to say _no_ before tilting his head and kissing him softly. John pulled back, licking his own lips to capture the taste of beer and Rodney, waiting to see how Rodney reacted.

"Really? 'Cause you know, with the kids it's been so long since I've had the chance to get laid and--"

John kissed him again, silencing the words. He pulled back again, leaving one hand pressed against the nicely muscled torso. "Really," he stated solemnly. He let his fingers splay out across Rodney's chest, rubbing one over the tiny nub of a nipple and loving the way Rodney shivered in pleasure at his touch, the nub peaking against the crumpled cotton of his dress shirt. While they kissed again, John teased at the buttons, slowly opening the shirt until he could run his hand over warm skin and fine, light brown curls. Rodney surged against his hand like a cat curving up to be stroked, a rough sound of pleasure at the back of his throat before he pushed back, breaking the kiss.

"As much as I... and this is really good but..."

He pushed up from the couch and held out his hand, the invitation clear. For a moment John was mesmerized by kiss-flushed lips and the heat in Rodney's eyes. It was a good look on him and John couldn't help the lustful smile that seemed to fluster Rodney just a little bit more. He liked Rodney like that, all off balanced and compensating with an arrogant tilt of his chin.

John accepted the hand, letting Rodney lead him down the lit hallway, past the children's bedroom to the room beyond, the door closing behind them with a soft snick of the lock. He had been expecting a typical bachelor's mess but the bedroom was surprisingly neat with one wall covered completely in shelving. Books and papers in all sizes filled the available shelf space though John noticed that the lower levels were behind glass panels, probably to protect the contents from two small, inquisitive children. A small tug on his hand brought his attention back to the vulnerable, eager man and the comfortable looking bed. John reeled Rodney back in, wrapping his arms around the man's waist as he kissed him again, taking his time as they rocked into each other, belly to belly, feeling the hardness of their cocks pressing together, separated only by the thickness of their clothing.

Too much clothing, John thought, his hand sliding between them to finish what he had started on the couch. Rodney's dress shirt fell open and John dived in to lick and suck on the warm skin exposed to his touch. He pressed kisses to the collar bone, pleased with Rodney's litany of babbled words demanding, "Here," and "Yes," and "Right there, right there". They discarded the rest of their clothing, falling onto the bed in a tangle of naked limbs, mouths and hands eager to explore the expanse of warm skin, sliding up across a broad shoulder and then down to sweep the curve of hip and rounded ass cheek. Everything was smooth; the flesh silken beneath John's fingertips and he gloried in the touch, whispering hoarsely of his own desires, of what he wanted to do with the beautiful body in his hands, and Rodney let him, pressing lube and a condom into John's hand. He let John push him onto his back, let John slide between his legs and push them back at the knees, moaning low in his throat as John circled his hole with lube-slicked fingers, sinking slowly into the incredible tightness and heat, waiting until Rodney was loose and slick before pressing inside with his cock.

He'd done this more than a dozen times before; he'd fucked several men in his less than respectable past and yet this time was so different. This time felt more intense, more alive, and all he wanted to do was sink into Rodney and stay inside him forever. He wanted to be a part of him, all of him, and he wanted Rodney to feel it too, to want him with the same intensity.

His release came too soon, the orgasm rolling over him as he emptied himself into Rodney, feeling the heat of Rodney's climax flooding between them, thighs and belly trembling with the strain before Rodney fell limp beneath him. John sprawled on top of him, feeling the labored rise and fall of Rodney's sweaty chest beneath his cheek. He kissed the soft belly before pulling back, drawing out of Rodney carefully and discarding the used condom carefully before flopping back down beside Rodney, one arm draped over his lover.

"Oh God that was good. That was so good." Rodney murmured over and over, one hand petting John almost carelessly before landing in the sticky mess on his stomach. "Ugh!"

John had to laugh at the look of disgust that crossed Rodney's face, as if he'd never been covered in his own come before. John suspected that Rodney was the fastidious kind who either liked to use a handkerchief to contain the mess when he masturbated, or preferred to play in the shower where the evidence was quickly washed away. He earned a nose-wrinkling by trailing his finger through Rodney's come, and then a look of heated shock when he sucked on the finger, tasting the bittersweet release.

"That is so disgusting and yet... yet I find that seriously hot."

With another laugh, John pulled Rodney into a kiss, letting him taste himself on John's lips, enjoying how the momentary squeak of disgust turned into a moan of unadulterated pleasure.

***

With Christmas less than three weeks away, Rodney felt a black cloud of depression descend upon him even though he wanted to make it a happy time for the kids. They deserved to have Christmas the way most other kids enjoyed it, with fun and laughter, with obscenely expensive gifts where the wrapper was more fun than the toy inside, and the full weight of commercialism landed on their unsuspecting bodies with trips to the pretend Santa's grotto and animatronics reindeer with flashing red noses. It was all cheesy and pathetic but Jeanie would have made it seem magical, stringing the home in tinsel and lights both inside and out. Fortunately, he could forgo the outside decoration in his third floor apartment but not the interior.

John made it bearable, staying over several times since that first wonderful night. Since taking responsibility for the kids, Rodney had refused to work weekends, even though that meant he had to work twice as hard during the week. He had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't raise them the way his parents had raised him and Jeanie, that they would spend family time together the way Jeanie would have wanted. Weekends were family time and, somehow, John had become a part of that, slotting in like a missing part of the Family puzzle. He was here today, spending his Saturday digging through the decorations that Rodney had kept from Jeanie's house. Madison ran back and forth between the two of them, showing Rodney tree ornaments that had significance either because they were so pretty, too gaudy, or John felt he should look. The tree was taking shape slowly, a new string of lights blinking on and off, the kind where it didn't matter if a single bulb failed because it wouldn't affect the rest; John had brought them with him.

Bradley seemed to have the wrong idea about decorating, trying to pull himself up so he could yank the baubles off the tree, and almost bringing the tree over twice. Rodney guessed he'd have to put in a child guard to stop him. Pulling him away had led to grumbling until John handed him a sheet of wrapping paper to crumple and tear to his little heart's content.

"So all the senior staff are invited, with their kids and, of course, the invitation is extended to all our associates, business partners and their families." John gave a lopsided smile, "Which means you and the kids."

Rodney gave a tense smile in return but John was focused on the box of baubles, looking a little shy.

"It's usually a little manic but there's a Santa and party games, and a nursery set up so the younger ones can go down for a nap when it all gets too much."

Rodney clenched his teeth together and faked a smile as John went on and on about the party and all the fun they would have there. He seemed to be looking forward to it so much that Rodney couldn't find it in him to spoil it for John by asking him to miss the party just for him. Rodney had another obligation and he wished he could have John with him. It might have made it a little easier to have someone--to have John--to lean on but this past year had taught him to be a little less selfish and put those he cared about before his own interests when he could.

Later, as they curled up together on the bed, with Rodney's head lying on John's hairy chest and the scent of sex hanging heavy in the air, John sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Um...nothing. Just tired."

"Okay. Best get to sleep then. Big day tomorrow."

"Yes. Yes it will be."

***

John pulled on his clothes quickly, cursing when he realized how late they had slept in. No doubt his father was working himself up to a heart attack wondering where John might be as he had promised to oversee the preparations for the party. He half-woke Rodney with a hurried kiss. "Hey, got to go. See you at the party later."

Rodney mumbled something but John figured it was a complaint about the _ungodly hour_ even though the kids were usually awake before now. Peeking into their room, he could see both were still fast asleep, probably tired out by all the fun putting up decorations yesterday. John smiled, carefully running his hand across Bradley's baby fine hair and listen to him snuffle the same way Rodney did in his sleep. He'd never wanted kids, happy enough to leave the provision of heirs to the Sheppard empire to his brother but then he'd never expected to fall in love with a grouchy, arrogant, smart, funny and amazing guy, a guy with two equally amazing kids.

This time last year he had been dreading the company party, amazed at how many families had a pretty daughter they tried to throw in his direction, hoping he would catch them so they could marry their way into his share of the Sheppard family fortune. John suspected they'd be throwing their sons at him this year after the _startling revelations_ in the celebrity magazines regarding his homosexuality but he didn't care because Rodney would be there; Rodney, Madison and Bradley.

Perhaps later he would mention that he'd handed Rodney's case against the drunk-driver's insurance company over to one of Sheppard Industries top lawyers--Richard Woolsey--to force them to pay up, and that they had agreed to settle in full immediately, with no further appeals. He might also mention that he had Mrs. Pumphrey put on a watch list, which effectively ended her baby-sitting career. The woman deserved far worse in John's eyes, especially as he had seen how traumatized Bradley had been after that single day in her so-called care, but there wasn't a lot else he could do without formal proof.

The Sunday morning traffic was light so he made it back to the Sheppard house in good time, smiling brightly at his father as he slipped inside and began organizing the day's event. The guests started to arrive mid-morning and John greeted them warmly, all the while looking out for Rodney. Slowly the number of new arrivals began to dwindle until only a few names were left unchecked on the guest list. Rodney's name was among them.

Pulling out his cell, John called the apartment but the answer machine picked up after ten rings. He tried Rodney's cell but it went straight to voice mail.

"Come on, Rodney. Where are you?"

John made nice with the guests, smiling in all the right places, acting as charming as he could even when he was introduced to young, pouting guys who were barely out of their teens, as well as guys on the Sheppard executive ladder who were looking to climb a little faster. By lunchtime, he knew Rodney wasn't coming and as everyone settled in for the buffet lunch, John grabbed a soda and found a quiet place to sit. He should have known something was wrong by Rodney's lack of complaint about noise and other people's kids.

He startled when Maggie sat down beside him.

"I guess you're missing that young man of yours."

John raised both eyebrows because both he and Rodney were fast approaching their forties, but then, Maggie was in her late fifties. Rodney was one of the few people that hadn't reacted with incredulity at finding a matronly woman acting as John's secretary rather than some hot young blond of either gender.

"I guess he had more important things to do."

"Well it must be hard for him, today of all days."

John frowned, wondering at the significance, then he straightened and stared at Maggie in shock. With sudden clarity, John knew why Rodney wasn't here; he knew where Rodney had gone and he felt sick that Rodney had chosen to go alone, until John realized just how much he had gone on about this damned party and how important it was for him to be here. Rodney hadn't wanted to make him choose, not realizing that the only reason John had been looking forward to this event at all was because he hadn't planned on being here alone. He'd planned to publicly stake his claim on Rodney and the kids, showing off the man he had fallen in love with to his family and associates.

He handed his drink to Maggie, leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

John was glad he had retained his pilot's license and passport, and he was also glad Sheppard Industries had a standing arrangement with the Canadian immigration and customs because of their subsidiary just north of the border. Using the helicopter, he could be in Vancouver within the hour.

"John?"

"Sorry, dad. I've got to go." He rushed onwards, heading for the helipad knowing that the helicopter would be ready to go up at a moment's notice.

"John?!"

His father called after him but John didn't have time to stop and explain, though he saw Maggie laying a hand on his dad's arm. He clambered in and ran a pre-flight check while he contacted the air traffic control to file his flight plan, recalling it from memory from the dozen times he had taken this route before. Land and water passed beneath him quickly while he radioed ahead to have a car waiting for him with directions keyed into the navigation system.

****

He stopped behind Rodney's car and stepped out into a crisp winter day. As he passed John glanced inside through the passenger window at the empty child seats before laying a hand on the hood; it was warm. Two sets of tracks moved away from the car, and John followed. His boots crunched in the fresh snow as he made his way along a picturesque winding path leading around the back of the old church, picking up his pace when, ahead of him, he spotted a man wrapped up in a thick coat with an equally well-wrapped child walking slowly beside him.

Rodney stopped and, suddenly, John wasn't so sure if he had made the right decision in coming here. What if he had been wrong and Rodney hadn't wanted him here at all? He paused for a moment as Rodney's voice drifted on the cold, clear air.

"Kaleb? Jeanie? Jeanie, this is your brother, Rodney. Obviously!" John saw him wince before giving a small self-deprecating laugh. "I brought... this is Madison and... and I guess you never really got a chance to know Bradley." John watched as Rodney crouched down to bring Bradley to the same height as the gravestones. "I wanna say, um... I wanna say something. Family... is important." He laughed softly. "Now, I know what you're thinking: I've never really been the poster child for that kind of sentiment but when... when one's contemplating the demise of one's... one's loved ones, one tends to see things more clearly." He took a deep breath and let it out, his breath a visible plume in the cold air. "I've been taking care of them for you. Maybe someone else could have done better but I..." He paused. "I miss you and... and having them gives me a little piece of you back to me."

Rodney cleared his throat.

"There's something else. You were always trying to set me up with someone. Well, I... I found someone. John... and I... He's special, and I'm hoping he'll stick around--"

Madison glanced over her shoulder, eyes widening when she saw John; she pulled away from Rodney and ran towards him, calling out his name. He caught her before she could do any damage.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Uncle Mer said you were too busy today." Her eyes widened and she squirmed to be let back down, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. "Did you come to meet my mom and dad?"

"Sure!"

Rodney had straightened back up and John met Rodney's gaze as he was drawn in front of the two headstones, seeing the stunned surprise in red-rimmed eyes so clear and blue that they mirrored the color of the sky above them. With his cheeks flushed from the cold and hair fluffed by the slight, chilly breeze, Rodney looked beautiful to John though he doubted Rodney would appreciate such a description.

"Hey." John's voice cracked a little but Rodney didn't seem to notice.

Rodney opened his mouth several times in an aborted attempt to speak and by the time he seemed to have found the words, John was kissing him, stealing away any attempt to explain or apologize or rant. No words were needed. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Rodney, holding Bradley between them, one arm reaching down to gather Madison in close too. As he broke the kiss, John leaned in again, this time to rest his forehead against Rodney's and breath in the scent of this crazy McKay family. He felt Rodney take in a deep, ragged breath.

"Your party?"

"Was for you!"

"For me?"

"Yeah."

"Oh!"

Eventually, both kids began to squirm so they parted, though John left his arm wrapped around Rodney as Madison laid her little bunch of flowers onto her mother's grave, and then he gathered her up into his arms. Together, they stood in silence, paying their respects before turning away, and if the sun did seem to shine a little brighter on them as they walked through the crisp snow back towards the cars then John chose to believe it was Kaleb and Jeannie giving him their blessing.

***

Rodney had spent last Christmas burying his sister, her husband and his parents, and dealing with all the paperwork while two small children cried inconsolably for the mom and dad they had lost. Christmas lunch had consisted of pizza for him and Madison, and milk for the baby, and Rodney had felt too sick with grief to open up the presents lying beneath the Miller's Christmas tree; the ones he had bought for them and the ones Jeanie had placed there for him in return. The rest of the season had passed in a haze of meetings over the children's future, over the Miller estate--the reading of the will--and starting the case against the drunk who had killed his sister.

This Christmas couldn't have been more different.

He awoke to the sound of a children giggling, staring blearily at the clock to see it was barely seven in the morning. The scrabble on the bed covers and the pain of small fingers using his chest hairs as a handhold brought him the rest of the way awake, and he stared into Bradley's wide blue eyes in time to see a big dribble fall to splatter onto Rodney's chin.

"Eww!"

His squeak of displeasure brought squeals of delight from the kids and that terrible guffawing laugh from John, who seemed to be taking a lot of pleasure in seeing Rodney squashed by two excited, small children.

"Santa came!" Madison cried out, tugging at his hand. "Come on!"

Rodney was almost relieved when Bradley was plucked off his chest by John, until his ratty old blue dressing gown was thrown across his face. He batted it aside and glared at John but without any real heat. In these last days leading up to Christmas, he learned that John was just as big a kid as Madison and Bradley and he could see the excitement shining in his eyes now. Whining under his breath as his hope of slow and easy, early Christmas morning sex faded, Rodney dragged himself out of bed and followed the excited group into the family room. Madison was already crawling beneath the tree, grabbing presents and reading out names, and Rodney blinked hard because he was sure there wasn't this many presents under the tree the night before.

He accepted one boxed gift with his name scrawled onto an oversize tag in a child's handwriting stating it had come from Santa. He stared hard at it until John leaned in and whispered, "Looks like you made it onto Santa's _nice_ list this year, McKay."

"Oh, ha, ha."

Inside was a snow globe paperweight with a photo of Madison and Bradley forming the backdrop. He shook it and smiled when, in the past, he might have rolled his eyes at the overt sentimentality. Another small box was placed into his hand while Madison and Bradley played beneath the tree, having more fun with the wrapping paper than the actual gifts. He eyed the box cautiously before opening it, looking up in shock at the tasteful band of titanium with a Celtic knot design. John looked at him from beneath his mop of dark hair, tense and silent.

"Seriously?" Rodney asked, almost in disbelief.

The half shrug seemed nonchalant but Rodney had already managed to decipher so many of John's expressions and mannerisms, recognizing that this was no ordinary gift of a ring. Taking the ring out of the box, he waited until he knew John was watching before carefully placed it onto his finger. It fit perfectly, and John grinned.

"Seriously," Rodney whispered as he caught John's face in his hands, kissing him tenderly. He looked back when Madison squealed in delight as she opened her main gift from him.

"A laptop?" John asked quietly.

"She's a McKay! She's very bright," he reasoned defensively. "And it means she'll stop trying to play with my laptop," he mumbled quickly, not mentioning that he'd loaded it up with all kinds of games as well as educational programs, knowing Madison would find them soon enough. She was a bright girl after all.

John grinned but the smile dropped and he nudged Rodney hard. The objection to having bony elbows jabbed in his ribs never made it passed his lips as Bradley pushed to unsteady feet and took five tottering steps across the room, holding out a bright red toy car towards Rodney and John before falling onto his bottom. Rodney laughed out loud and dropped to his knees before the toddler, picking Bradley up and hugging him tightly. He felt John's warmth against his side and wrapped his free hand around him, dragging him in for another kiss that ended only when Madison jumped into the group hug.

Last Christmas Rodney felt cold and alone, as if his whole world had fallen apart; this Christmas he realized he had a whole new future to discover with Madison and Bradley, and just as wonderfully, with John.

THE END


End file.
